


The Khoiyese Oath

by orphan_account



Category: Persona 3, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Anxiety, Bad Parenting, Comfort, Everyone’s sad, F/M, Gods, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lots of Angst, M/M, Marriage Contracts, Mental Illness, Multi, Original Character - Freeform, Politics, Possession, Religious Conflict, Royalty, Secret love, Strangers to Lovers, There will be some NSFW, arranged marraige, but I’ll mark that when it comes up!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 21:03:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15894099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: [Based off of the royal retainer AU from here: https://persona-rrau.tumblr.com]Minato Arisato was the king of Oratorio, and marriage had never once crossed his mind. He’d never felt compelled to love, the closest ever was to his dear retainer Akira Kurusu. However, it seems that past deals have surfaced up, and Minato is stuck in an arranged marriage made almost 18 years ago. How can both he and this new princess navigate and try to balance this, or will it end up in them sacrificing everything for the sake of their kingdoms?[The most updated chapters/headcannons/rambles are on my tumblr: https://angelicscribbles.tumblr.com ! Please don’t be afraid to cry/yell at me about what I’ve created, I know, its a monster.]





	The Khoiyese Oath

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the beginning, me finally getting something on here...  
> This is going to be a super heavy fic, and involve a lot of character building so I’m sorry if I end up mischaracterizing someone! If you think this is the case, then please please tell me! I love feedback, and it’s so important to make sure I can be a better and better writer for you guys!
> 
> comments/concrit is always welcome, and I love hearing anything you guys have to say ❤️ Enjoy the angst, hopefully you’ll love my daughter as much as I do !

-Chapter 1-

 

The beginnings Mahama was a paradise on this planet,riches spilling from its hip and a natural beauty comparable only to a god’s playground. The mountains stood in authority whilst wrapping this city in its protective embrace. They encouraged its solar brother from the East to shine sliced rays of sunshine to highlight the opulence surrounded by both tradition and modernity.

Mahama had a governor, yes, but Kei Nanjo understood the limits of his power. He’d decided against the removal of the region’s historic Royal family, as did all the other governors before him. The Khoiya were an integral part of the region’s history, their fates tied just as much to the government as his position was. They were proud ruling family that claimed to be blessed by the gods of the region, and cast favor upon those they deemed worthy. Through the fruition of one of the greatest and most bountiful spice and fruit productions known to the entire land mass, they’d dug their talons into Mahama’s economic body. Their opulence and exotic nature branded them as representatives of the city, and those who threatened to expose their monopolizing soon met an inexplicable end. There were opponents lost, and temples which’d mysteriously come to ruin once religious figures dared to try and cross them. They were the true house of power, and had rightfully demonstrated such.

Kei Nanjo was a logical man, and one of great intellect and tact, leading him to have very solid, amiable relationships with the surrounding kingdoms. He knew the tremendous power this family held to the region, and how the city’s economy would buckle under the pressure of their absence. The tourists frequently came for the unusual and delicious delicacies alongside the city’s beauty, so to remove an essential part of the experience would only spell disaster.

However, it was frequently gossiped by the Khoiyese courts that Nanjo had simply been holding on a bit too much for too long, and it was because of their ethereal claim to this land that the family wasn’t given the jurisdiction it so craved. The Khoiyese were a power hungry family, hidden upon layers of formalities and traditions were plots and schemes fueled by the sins they so renounced; passions, lust, envy, jealousy, and so forth.

The branched families trained their children to be warriors and merchants for farther lands, and the main family’s to dictate the trade agreements and shoulder all of the empire on in the future. While this is a clear imbalance of power in favor of the Khoiyese, they truly cared for the prosperity of their ancestral lands. So, this balance was maintained for some time, all in enough surface-level happiness and harmony, until the day that the princess was brought into the lion’s den.

Rhapavi Khoiya was the eldest son of the main branch, and was lovelessly wedded off to Binoor, his distant cousin (only through marriage, there was no blood relation at all). There was only politics and obligation spelled out in their marriage contract, and that if love were to happen it’d be more of a happy coincidence than a necessity. Their first child was one who’d determine the future of the family, so it was crucial that all could be as perfect as possible. However, it seemed as though the gods had other plans for the Khoiyese.

The day she’d come into the world, there was the sun raining his praises upon her domain. The day she’d opened her eyes, the moon glowed brightly in her hazy post-affections. On the day that the princess Mahavi Khoiya was born, the stars had supposedly showed their fortunes upon the kingdom of Mahama. That is, until the courts began to start talking.

She’d been born, firstly, with the absence of her father. He’d been attending another trade conference, and hadn’t been able to see her until a few months following her birth. This played into the superstition that it was bad luck, as a child without both parents present would confuse the gods into thinking she was a child of wedlock. This would lead to her loosing their favour, and could lead her to a path of sin.

She’d also been a baby of noncompliance. Everything about her was imperfect in the eyes of the family, and whilst they gushed over the small infant they simultaneously pressed on their disappointments.

“My, my, how _plump_ she’s gotten!”

“She’s quite dark, even for having just seen the sun! I wonder if she’ll get darker growing up...”

“Binoor, she has your nose _already_ , I can see it all the way from here!”

Binoor‘s stresses from the constant criticisms soon affected her parenting, with her soon neglecting her child were it not for the wet-nurses and maids surrounding her.

“The baby, **it wouldn’t shut up!** ” she screamed back when questioned, “Do I not deserve some peace as well?”

When asked about why the baby’s throat had gone hoarse from constant screaming. Rhapavi was at a loss as well, only occupying himself with his child when he saw it fit. It was in this desperation that Binoor seeked out religious counseling, as the gods would surely be able to explain.

* * *

 

“I...I-I don’t _understand_!”

The queen spat out to the aged Yogi. He stroked his beard and looked down upon the colic child once again before nodding his head and explaining to her again.

“Your Majesty, Queen Binoor...,” he started,

“you have given birth to a baby which houses a guilty soul. This soul cannot handle such a blessed position in the world, thus it is repelling against its holy position in your family. There is no other explanation for your daughter’s constant distress.”

He was a wizened master of the Khoiyese’s Temple and Shrine, who’d seen only but a few cases such as that of Mahavi’s. This rarity, he’d read, was written out clearly in the holy texts and must be dealt with immediately. Binoor‘s body shook with defeat and anger; if it was at herself or the baby, it was unknown. She’d given birth to a baby destined for sin? To perhaps bring down the family that she’d be brought into? This spelled disaster for not just the child, but to her own status as well. She’d grown up affluent and wealthily enough, but not to the gross extent that her husband had provided her with in the past year or so.

“I know, I know! But...is there something you can do?”

She pleaded with swollen, tear laden eyes.

“Anything, what is the price? What do you want from me, the family, they cannot know-“

she cut herself off when she noticed the Yogi rise from his previously cross-legged stance, and calmly collect a few texts that showed their age with layers of ancient dust and smell.

“We will not ask anything from you.” He stated curtly.

“ _It is what we must take away from her that we must discuss.”_

* * *

 

This conversation happened 23 years ago, but to examine the plight at hand’s origins, one must look back to about 6 years past the temple meeting and the events that followed it.

Mahavi now was a 6 year old girl, and entertained herself with the slightly older, blue haired boy that’d seemed to also be a part of the visiting parties. He was a few years older than her, perhaps about 9 or so, but he’d never once shown it to bother him. In fact, despite the age gap, he’d invited her to come “exploring” with him. Exploring was a loose term, as this was Mahavi’s own house after all. She suggested instead a game of hide-and-seek, and the boy seemed delighted with this proposition. The two soon preoccupied themselves, blissfully unaware of what they’d be sentenced to on that prophetic day.

Their parents, however, were not there to engage in such frivolous activities.

“King Arisato... _what a pleasure_ to be in your presence. I do hope that our amenities have been to your standards.”

Indeed, the King and Queen of Oratorio, the Imperial Capital of the land, were face to face with Khoiyese Monarchs. Both had a mutual understanding of the other’s power and resources, but this was a bold move for Rhapavi and Binoor. If this negotiation were to fail, they’d have staked their reputation and open the door for public ridicule and witch-hunting. There was no room for failure, and they had to mask any sort weakness from the couple across the table quickly.

“As it is to you, King Khoiya. We thank you for hosting us here, and look forward to hearing your business proposals.”

A short, curt answer, already shaving the fat and allowing them to get down to business.

“You see, we are a very homogenous family, and are concentrated in this particular area. We are looking to expand our networks, all the while allowing it to benefit another as best as it can. Would this be something you’d agree to?”

“Khoiya, with all due respect, it’s difficult to understand exactly what you desire.”

“That is to be expected, so I have had my analyst prepare the numbers for you.”

The king narrowed his eyes, and glanced at the sheets freshly provided to him on a tray. They were pure business, with comparisons of what Oratorio was currently making as well as the adjustments that Rhapavi was hinting at. After examining them for a few brief moments, he exclaimed;

“What you have quoted us for future imports almost seems at a loss to you, seeming as it’s exorbitantly profitable to us.... Cut to the chase, what is it you want from us?”

There was a reason why the Khoiyese were so successful at business, and there had to be something worth as much as his kingdom for him to be so generous with his business. He knew his diplomacy well, and tried to hide any initial surprise or excitement.

“You aren’t exactly known for charity work, and I have no reason to believe you’d start now.” Rhapavi‘s mouth curled in a bit, understanding that his fluffy talk was not going to produce results. “We would like to offer a marriage proposal. Your son, to wed our daughter once she comes of age. She already in her young age is showing promise, and if she were to wed your son, her relations to both kingdoms will allow both of us to mutually prosper.”

The Arisato royals’ eyes widened the moment they’d heard such a request. It was an unspoken rule that many marriages were political and were of benefit, but to have one chartered at such a young age...they weren’t sure what to say. The queen was about to protest, for her son and his happinesses’ sake, but her husband averted her gaze again to the sheet that detailed what the Khoiyese would offer in return. Tons upon tons of the powdered treasures, with their buying rates being quietly cut in half. The sheer amount of profit and economic fertility that was presented to them, it was almost as though they were looking at a saving grace. To not take such an opportunity, they knew would not only be economic suicide, but would also be an indirect declaration of war upon this family that controlled not just the spice trade, but had the power to reek havoc on many other Oratorian properties owned inside Mahama.

They needed no reminders of what was at stake, as they were evident in the king’s Oynx eyes, reflecting back on them the doubt that only they were casting.

War had not been kind to the capital of Oratorio. The average wage had fallen, spending and tourism per capita had sharply declined, and the trading between them and their allies had come to barely breaking even, due to contracts that couldn’t be altered least they wanted another war. This decision, of banishing the free love of the two starry eyed children not just a handful of meters outside the meeting room, was made with a flourish of a quill under the sun’s highest position.

“We thank you for your cooperation King Oratorio. But to ensure that this decision is to remain valid, we ask for a bit more than just ink.”

Binoor‘s face dropped briefly from her plastered smile, almost resembling a grimace. It was near perfect timing that the kings retainers approached, demanded that they summon the children to the meeting room.

* * *

 

“I found you! Again!” The boy laughed out, lifting the embroidered tablecloth to reveal a giggly Mahavi.

“Oh, you’re just too good at this Minato! It’s no fair!”

She exclaimed, unaware that her praises were what directed the palace guards to their position. The two men strode to their positions easily, with the two of them pausing their conversation to look up. Both men were in standard Khoiyese palace attire, light clothing decorated with beading and pale gold. As they were military, it was highlighted and trimmed by the colors of their rank, in this case a turquoise green. The silken sashes that decorated their waist also housed curved longswords on their left, and opulent kirpans on the right.

The glistening of the weapons made Mahavi swallow thickly, as they were symbols of retainer status.

Specifically, her father’s retainers.

Knowing this, she scrambled to her feet, only to stumble a bit thanks to the tablecloth. Minato steadied her, and stood up as well. The retainers payed no mind to Minato, but instead grappled the girls forearms as they strode to the meeting room. Minato only briefly wondered why they had such a tight grip on her. The kings and queens of the respective kingdoms sat in silence pondering what had just been done.

The economic benefits to Oratorio, with its assurance for years to come, and a Khoiyese finally being able to marry into the royal family. The outcome of such could only benefit the kingdoms, which the men had centered around their psyche. The women, however, thought of their children and how they’d been subjected to a life without love thanks to their hand. Binoor, however, soon forgave herself for this action, as it was nothing different than what her parents had done with her, and was perfectly acceptable in royal courts of both kingdoms. She’d been knocked out of her thoughts when the children made their appearance, Minato greeting his parents jovially and asking how the meeting went. Mahavi, on the other hand, was released aside her father and demanded to know why she’d be interrupted from such a fun game with her friend. Without hesitation, The king declared

“You have to sign a contract now Mahavi, that is why. Give me your right hand child, so we can finish this quickly.”

She pouted, but laid her hand flat on the table as she’d been trained to do so. Minato watched on as the king drew a small knife, and nicked the small girl’s fingertip before pressing them to a piece of parchment. Minato watched on, his face contorting into one of slight fear and shock, before she turned to him with a smile.

“Don’t worry, it doesnt hurt! Not really! Plus, we can have a cookie afterwards!”

The promise of treats swayed him, and the Oratorian king was handed a sheathed knife to him to do the same to his son. Minato performed the same ritual, noticing that his fingerprints were aside his parents signatures.

“What a weird contract, I wonder what it must be about for me to be called out like this...”

“Alright, you’re done now children. You may go back to whatever it is that you were doing before.”

The two of them bounded out like the foxes of spring, unaware of the fatal consequences of that would result from this blood oath.


End file.
